What are the odds - transmission failure?

Did you ever have the tranny in either one serviced? Tranny fluid and filter change? Or do you just drive them until they drop?

My last Explorer and this current one have lasted far longer than yours, but I took care of them.

Preventative maintenance is far less expensive than what you're going through.

Jack

Yep. Serviced both of them properly.

The problem may be that I purchased them as used vehicles before Ford started their current pre-owned vehicle inspection program.

Mechanic said the failure resulted from a bad clutch.

Wow you must have bad luck. I'm on my 3rd explorer never had a tranny problem. I did put a new tranny in my 78 Granada at 150k and a new one in an 87 Bronco II at 120k.

Amen, brother. Keep a Explorer properly serviced, and she'll run for years. I needed a rebuild on my 91 EB tranny at 156,000. Still cheaper than new truck payments. She was still going strong at 250,000 when a fender bender totaled her out by the insurance company's view. The salvage yard driver couldn't believe that he could DRIVE the truck on the lift. I took the insurance settlement and bought a 92 Explorer XLT.

Last I heard, the driver bought the truck from the salvage company for himself. He doesn't m>>I own a 1995 Mercury Sable and the transmission failed in 1999 at 95,000 >>miles.

Not true. The mechanic said that we didn't do anything wrong to make this happen. It may be a fluke but it happened nonetheless.

Outside of this problem, we love the vehicle.

"Oz" wrotenews:50n8d.3520$Vm1.2247 @newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:

There is no such thing. Ford simply wholesales all used cars taken in on trade under a certain year and condition. They change the oils and stuff and supposedly check all the fluids on the nice ones they keep for resale, bill it to the dealership and inflate the cost, charge the expense off on the net profit instead of the gross profit so the salemen and managers end up paying a lot of the cost of "inspecting" it.

It's simply coincedence or someone is turning back odometers there because everything I've heard is that these trannys should last 110,000-160,000 miles with most of them going under at about 130-140k.

-- Riki

--Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

Well . . . . . . The transmission shop mechanic said that it looked like someone towed the vehicle with the front wheels on the ground. That something in that process causes the clutch to undergo duress that often, later on, results in the transmission failing. His words - not mine.

Extremely doubtful that the odometer was rolled back as it was leased in December 1999 and we bought it in 2001. It is a 2000 Explorer XLS. When we purchased it it had 30,000 miles on it. You gave a range of transmission failure at 130,000+. This vehicle was no where near that mileage and would have had to have the piss driven out of it to get 130,000 in just two years time. The service records, remember it was a lease vehicle, don't indicate that kind of mileage.

I've heard plenty of other stories about Ford Explorer transmissions failing around 100,000. Do an internet search and you'll find the stories too. Pathetic.

"Oz" wrotenews:3UXbd.5631$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Basically what I've heard is that Dodge/Chrysler have the worst transmission in the universe.

I undertand that Ford and Chev are not up to quality with Toyota, Honda or even Nissan, but they should last at least 130,000 miles.

Sounds more like a manu defect or misuse.

Or, you could have taken it to that infamous oil change place that always does it wrong and forgets the plug or gasket?

-- riki

--Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.